Substrate treatment method

Abstract

A substrate in which a low dielectric constant film is formed on a front surface thereof is processed. A densification step of densifying a surface layer portion of the low dielectric constant film to change to a densified layer is executed. Then, after a densified layer forming step, a repair liquid supplying step of supplying a repair liquid, for repairing the densified layer, to a front surface of the low dielectric constant film is executed.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A substrate processing method for processing a substrate in which a low dielectric constant film is formed on a surface thereof, the substrate processing method comprising:
 a densification step of densifying a damaged layer, which is presented in a surface layer portion of the low dielectric constant film and in which a plurality of pores are formed, to change the damaged layer to a densified layer, by supplying an oxidizing agent in a liquid state to a surface of the low dielectric constant film, so that the oxidizing agent in the liquid state permeates into the surface layer portion of the low dielectric constant film; and 
 a repair liquid supplying step of supplying a repair liquid, for repairing damage of the densified layer, to the surface of the low dielectric constant film after the densification step, so that the repair liquid permeates into the densified layer, 
 wherein the repair liquid supplying step includes a liquid replacing step of replacing a liquid on the surface of the low dielectric constant film with the repair liquid. 
 
     
     
       2. The substrate processing method according to  claim 1 , wherein the densification step includes a step of forming the densified layer into which the repair liquid is less likely to permeate as compared with the damaged layer. 
     
     
       3. The substrate processing method according to  claim 1 , wherein the densification step includes a step of compressing the damaged layer to make the plurality of pores smaller, thereby changing the damaged layer to the densified layer. 
     
     
       4. The substrate processing method according to  claim 1 , further comprising: a cleaning step of supplying a cleaning liquid to the surface of the low dielectric constant film before the densifying agent supplying step, thereby cleaning the surface of the low dielectric constant film. 
     
     
       5. The substrate processing method according to  claim 3 , wherein the densification step includes a step in which two methyl groups are each removed from corresponding silicon atoms to form a siloxane bond, so that the plurality of pores are made smaller. 
     
     
       6. The substrate processing method according to  claim 1 , wherein the densification step includes a step of changing a non-damaged layer adjacent to the damaged layer in the surface layer portion of the low dielectric constant film to the densified layer. 
     
     
       7. The substrate processing method according to  claim 1 , wherein the densified layer has a porosity of 0% to 10% and the thickness of 1 nm to 5 nm.